Station-indicator.



G. S. EMERY.

STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED mu.27,191s.

1,094,783. Patented Apr. .28, 1914.

4 EHEETS-SHEET 1.

7 IL 11 IL WITNESSES ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA FLANDGRAPH CO..WASHINGTON, D. c-.

G. S. EMBRY'.

STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.27, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

WITNESSES j BY W ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co. WASHINGTON, n c.

G. S. EMERY.

STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.27,1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR 650565 6 {mt-Hy ATTORNEYS elf) GEORGE S. EIVIEBY, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

STATION-INDICATOR.

memes.

To all 1071 m it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE S. EMERY, a citizen of the United States of America and a resident of Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Station-Indicators, of which the following a specification.

My invention relates to station indicators, and more particularly to station indicators of the kind carried by street cars for the purpose of indicating, to passengers within the cars. the various streets as they are reached in a predetermined order of suc cession.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like letters indicate like parts.

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a car provided with my improved station indicator, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 10, looking in the direction of the arrow and show ing a part of the ratchet mechanism used in connection with the actuating mechanism for the indicator. Fig. 3 is a detail showing in plan, a brake spring for securing a positive step by step stoppage of the actuating mechanism. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail showing a pair of ratchet wheels forming a part of the actuating mechanism and adapted to be driven in opposite directions. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the inclicator and the actuating mechanism therefor. Fig. 7 is a detail showing, partly in elevation and partly in section, one of the tension rollers for carrying the display web over the driving belt. Fig. 8 is a detail showing a magnetic trip for use in connection with the actuating mechanism. Fig. 9 is a detail showing a spring trip which may also be used with the actuating mechanism. Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the indicator and actuating mechanism for the same. Fig. 11 is a detail showing a spring-mountcd disk forming a part of the gearing of the actuating mechanism. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the indicator showing the same as it would appear to an observer standing at the right of Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the swinging block and parts immediately associated therewith forming a part of the actuating mechanism. Fig. 14c is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. March 27, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914..

Serial No. 757,132.

detail showing one of the rocking disks forming a part of the actuating mechanism. Fig. 15 is an elevation showing the swinging block and cams carrying the same, these parts being removed from the actuating mechanism. Fig. 16 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 15.

A car body is shown at 17 and is mounted upon wheels 1.8 which rest upon rails 19, these parts being of the usual or any desired construction. Located at intervals along the track, and disposed midway between the rails are stationary lugs 20 extending upwardly and serving as trip members. The indicator frame is shown at 21 and contains mechanism of the indicator, as hereinafter described. A revoluble shaft 22 is connected with the indicator and extends downwardly therefrom nearly to the level of the track. A block 23 forming a part of the actuating mechanism for the indicator is supported, together with other parts, by a plate 2 1, the latter being secured to a truck 25 which is mounted upon the underside of the car. The block 23 is so located that its path of travel due to the ordinary motion of the car is obstructed by the tripping member 20. The indicator frame 21 is provided with spacing rods 26 whereby it is held together.

I provide four rollers 27, 28, 29, 30, which are mounted rigidly upon revoluble shafts 30 80', 30, 30 the latter extending entirely through the frame-work. Engaging these rollers is a motor ribbon 31 which is of a width commensurate with the length of the rollers and is endless, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6. An idle roller 32 engages the motor ribbon 31 and is provided with axial pins 33 which extend through slots 3st in the frame-work, the slots being inclined as indicated in Fig. 6. The weight of the idle roller keeps it in engagement with the motor ribbon and thus tends to render the tension of the ribbon substantially constant.

The frame is provided with slots 35. 36, which, like the slot 34:, are slightly inclined. Extending through the slots 35, 36 are two tension rollers of the type shown more particularly in Fig. 7. Each of these rollers is provided with a shaft 37 upon which is rigidly mounted a cylinder 38. A spiral spring 39 encircles this cylinder and is connected at one end with a barrel to having a general cylindrical form and provided with beads 40 The opposite end of the spring end of each pin 98 is secured a spiral spring 99, this spring being also connected to a pin 100, carried by the other disk. That is, each spring 99 is secured at one of its ends to a pin extending from a pawl carried by one disk, say 92, but the other end of the stem spring is secured to a pin carried by the oth r disk, say 93. Adjacent to each pawl 90 and bearing upon the same, is a leaf spring 97 for the purpose of tightening the pawl. The springs 99 are employed to retract the disks 92, 93 and bring them back to their respective normal positions. Mounted rigidly upon the shaft 86 are two ratchet wheels 101, 102, these ratchet wheels being located between the disks 92, 93. Each pin 98 extends in close proximity to the adjacent cam 88 or 89, so that when the block 23, carrying the cams, is rocked it causes one of the cams 88 or 89 to momentarily raise the adjacent pin 98, and thus momentarily lift the particular pawl carrying the pin out of engagement with the ratchet wheel upon which it normally rests. At the instant this occurs, the opposite cam (88 or 89) by moving against the adjacent pin 9+1 or 95 rocks the disk carrying this pin. The pawl 96, carried by this disk, thereupon turns the ratchet wheel which it engages. Thus when the car travels in either of two directions, or rather when the block 23 is tripped in either of two directions, one of the pawls 96 is practically idle so as to prevent retrograde rotation of the ratchet wheels 101102, or the shaft supporting them.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I show two special forms of tripping devices, each having the same general purpose as the lugs 20. Referring more particularly to Fig. 9, a ground plate is shown at 103 and extending through a hole in this ground plate is a tripper 104 which is pressed upwardly by a spring 105. This construction offers an advantage in that if a wagon or the like should throw a considerable weight upon the tripper 10%, the latter is free to yield and move downwardly without causing any jolt to the wagon or any injury to the tripper. In Fig. 8 the tripper 106 is loose relatively to the ground plate and normally rests upon a support 108 located below the ground plate. A magnet 10'? carried by the car draws the tripper 106 upwardly, as soon as the car reaches such position that the magnet 107 is directly over the tripper. For this purpose the tripper 106 should be made of iron or other magnetic material.

Mounted rigidly upon the shaft 54 and located within the indicator frame is a lever 109 provided with a downwardly extending portion 110. Two tripping fingers 111, 112, are mounted directly upon the dis play web 16 as to overhang one of the adjacent edges thereof, these tripping fingers being located comparatively near the ends of the web. They are so shaped as not to interfere with the winding of the web upon the barrels 40, and for this purpose they extend laterally from the web in a direction crossing the plane thereof. The tripping finger 111 is so located and disposed that when the web is nearly unwound from the adjacent or upper barrel 10, the tripping finger 111 is brought into engagement with the upper end of the lever 109. The tripping finger 112 is so disposed that when the web 16 is nearly unwound from the lower barrel 40, the tripping finger in question is brought against the lower portion 110 of the lever just mentioned, so as to shift this lever into its reverse position. The lever 109 is provided with a weight 113 for the purpose of normally maintaining it off its center, so that when the upper end of the lever is thrown to the right or the left, according to Fig. 17, the weight will hold the lever in the position which it thus assumes.

The trippers shown in Figs. 8 and 9 are preferable where my device is used in a city, but in the country or on suburban lines I prefer to use the lug 20 on account of its cheapness.

The operation of my device is as follows :-The parts being assembled and arranged as above described as the car proceeds upon the track, or in the direction in dicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. The block is periodically brought against the lug 20 or analogous tripping member 10-1 or 106, shown in Figs. 8 and 9 respectively. Each time the block 23 strikes against a tripping member, the block is swung upon the shaft 80 in a direction which according to Fig. 1 would be clockwise. The notch 90 of the cam 88 (see Fig. 15) engages the pin 95, carried by the disk 93 and causes this disk to rock in a clockwise direction according to Figs. 1, 2 and 19:. The pawl 96 carried by this cam thereupon turns the ratchet wheel 102 in a clockwise direction for a distance corresponding to the length of one tooth of the ratchet wheel. The shaft 86 is thus turned step by step and through the disk 82, springs 80, disk 78 and fiexbile shaft sections turned thereby, motion is communicated to the bevel gear 70. This turns the bevel gear 69 and rotates the shaft 22. Motion is communicated through the bevel pin ion 48 or the bevel pinion 49, depending upon the position of the clutch collar 52, this in turn depending upon the position of the lever 53 for controlling the clutch mechanism. If, however, the car is traveling in the opposite directionthat is, to the left according to Fig. 1,-the shaft 86 is turned step by step in a contraclockwise direction according to Fig. 1. In this event the swinging block 23 engages the lug 20 or other tripping member, and is rocking in a contraclockwise direction according to Fig.

Cit

nil the pawl 96 carried by the disk ages the ratchet Wheel 101, thus a step by step movement upon the shat 8G aiul parts controllable thereby. "t Wlll thus he seen that Whether the car be travelingtoru'aril or lJfiCliWflltl, the bevel Rear 51 is turned accordingly. This gear,

acting through the shatt'fio, causes the large reaching the eiul of the route the car may start (lirectlv hachmu'cl. or may pass around a loop aral thus virtually continue to travel oru al. 11' the car merely hacks over the route which it has just traveled, no change necessary in the position oi the lever 111 however, the Ollfil of the route terminates A i a loop the trinping finger 111 is brought en a ageinent with the upper portion of lever liihr or the tripping linger 112 is i it against the lower portion 11.0 of er the case may be. In either t :e lever is rocked and is held in its msition by the 'a'eigght 113, as above Cle- This movement rocks the shaft 541- il rauses the clutch. to l; 533 to shift the itch collar 52 thereby reversing the direcion of travel of the Web to anti oarts iinreason the operator desires to reverse the i ltingr the lever 53 by hand.

he notecl that the earine as a r l nerely sl t u'il the springs 80 aiul the use of a flern l t seclioin so that no undue strain is war 56 0 turn and. the rotation of this gear rae thrown upon any part (1 the gearing in con-- sequence 01'' shocks or irren'unirities in move ments oi the actuating mocha isin. It will also be notecl that the step-lrv'step movement oi the various parts is rendered positive, fllitl. accurate 1 (lo not limit niysell to the precise r-- rangeinei'it shown, as variations may he made in the mechanism Without Clepartina' from the spirit of my in vention the scope oil; which is commensurate with n iy c ainis.

The indicator is preli'eraliily placml at the ends of the car, insiile, and over LlUOi entrances.

:1 clain 1. fr station indicator comprising a revoluhle shaft, means controllable by movements oil? a car for turning said sh 1ft step by step, a lilexihle sha section, spring Ll/ mechanism connecthnr saitl. first mentioned sharia; section with said llcxihle shaft section, an indi *ator, a gearing connecting saiil flexible shaft section with. said iiulicntor.

fr motor mechanism for indicators comprising a reroluliile shaft, :1, pair of rains connecteil tiiir'etlier anzl niounleil loosely upon saiil. l" }\'0ll1l)le shat'h sairl cams as a unit heiug; free to swing in two flirections, in ians emitro lahle hy the t t a car for swinging saiil cams relatively saiil shaft, :1 pair of (llSh'S each menu t osely upon sai l shailit liacent one ravel oi o l. l)

antl each (lispouerl a I of said on us, a pin carried by each (lish and disposed partially within the path of travel of the adjacent cann in oriler to enable each cain when rocked in. one (lirection to rock one of said tllSlCS in the same direction, a pair of pawls each carried by one of said disks, said, paivls extending in. opposite rotary directions, a pair of ratchet Wheels niounterl rug-idly upon sanl shaft, each heel. inatine; one of san' )au'ls and being arranged to turn the shail in one (lireetioin nul mechanism controll hle by the swinging of said auis in either (lirection for throwing one i said pavvls out of engage ment with its mating ratchet llitnesscs:

of this patent "may be obtained for five cents each, by aedressing the Commissioner of l ateiits,

Vfashington, :o. (1. 

